Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne was in Flamborough this past weekend when she went on the record as saying that her predecessor, Dalton McGuinty, knew that errors had been made regarding how the Ontario horse racing industry had been dealt with.
On Saturday, March 2, at the Outstanding Business Achievement Awards at the Flamborough Golf and Country Club, Wynne was cited as saying that she has been keeping her eye on the ongoing situation at Flamboro Downs.
An article by the Hamilton Spectator has quoted Wynne as telling the crowd in attendance that she has been "paying close attention" to the situation.
The report has quoted Wynne as saying in her address to the crowd that, “some of the decisions that have been made were possibly not as well thought-through as maybe they should have been, and my predecessor knew that.”
The Premier went on to say that Ontario must have a sustainable horse racing industry, and that it "defines us," but that she is looking for it to be smaller, emphasizing sustainability.
(With files from the Hamilton Spectator)
Premier Wynne to Ontario:
Premier Wynne to Ontario: nothing to see here move along people, we regret past mistakes but it's over and done with. We need to face up to the new challenges I will create for all of you in the very near future.
No money for horse racing but
No money for horse racing but nearly a billion to the bingo halls, since a Liberal bought a bunch of them!! I think Mr Tanembalm should have to account for every nickle, so we know its not goin to line liberal's pockets!! Dont forget the Sponsorship Scandal, 100 million disappears and no one held responsible!!!
Take notice to how carefully
Take notice to how carefully placed her words are. She admits that "possibly" some mistakes were made, however she doesn't say that she is going right those wrongs. Politicians are all the same, no matter what party you are talking about. They mince words and never commit to anything, except in this case, where they are committed to destroying the Sport Harness Racing. Don't let her fool you, she isn't going to fix anything and she won't take the blame for it either. I don't know how people like that can sleep at night.
& does "smaller" mean racing
& does "smaller" mean racing in the GTA area only?!!!
Stop saying mistakes were
Stop saying mistakes were made and propose solutions. Anything lessthan that is disingenious.
Once again we voice our
Once again we voice our opinions on this page.... what are we gonna do about it in the last few weeks of March that are left? A rally of only 1,000 won*t cut it, so now what?? OSS wants payment by March 15th, but can*t give us any race dates, when n where? Priceless!!!! leo samarillo YO1217
Why does the industry have to
Why does the industry have to be smaller ? Just because some Liberal says so!
In reply to Why does the industry have to by [email protected]
What is it that this
What is it that this government wants from us. Define smaller so that we can make business plans and adjust.In the meantime foreign and local investment is leaving the province in the form of studs broodmares, good horses along with thousands of Ontario jobs that are beeing eliminated. You ended SARP with no transition plan last March 2012 and here we are 11 months later STILL with no clear vision of the industry here in Ontario. We all know what the ulterior motives were to ending SARP and it's time to remove the blind bridle and look at the damage you have caused.
Smaller is not better.
Smaller is not better. Smaller will affect the whole principle behind the slots at racetrack program. Less tracks and dates will also translate to less slot revenue for the province. It will also translate to a huge revenue loss for the province from horse racing and the agricultural sector. Jobs will also be lost. There will be no grass roots support for the racing at WEG. The OLG is not our problem. The problem is with Kathleen Wynne. She knows absolutely nothing about our industry, nor does she care. Racing has lost its stature and the public is less interested in horse racing than it was years ago. What the public is interested in is the human aspect of our industry. The only way to get Wynne’s attention and educate her is by bringing our members in trucks with trailers to surround Queens Park. The press will be there, only because of the human interest side of the story, and we will make the front page of every newspaper. Only then will our story get out.
While admitting mistakes were
While admitting mistakes were made by the Dalton gang I still read that her plan is to complete the downsizing that the Dalton gang started so she continues to hold up Dalton's decisions. Time for an election and would one of the opposition please stand up and make a statement that you will reverse the Dalton coarse and reinstate the SARP - point blank quit feeding us your political bull and stand up
and be counted
The main objective of good
The main objective of good gov't is to govern for ALL the people of Ontario. I find it distressful that the Liberals only govern and create policies to what is acceptable to the citizens of the GTA. (Gas plant scandal etc.) Why should the gov't have the authority or the right to choose who survives and who does not in a racing industry which is private and free enterprise. After all, we are not dipping into tax payer's dollars as a subsidy under the SAR program, as McGuinty and Duncan suggested but rather the contrary. We have contributed to the Ontario treasury thru private investment by horse people each year, billions of dollars. Now, the Premier is suggesting that we have to become "smaller". This is utterly ridiculous. Most industries strive to become larger in order to prosper. I submit that this Gov't and the Liberal Party have no vision and are short sighted in believing that a smaller horse racing industry can survive. Lee Iacocca, the past CEO of Chrysler Corp. once wrote a book on the American economy and unfortunately his thesis now applys to Ontario. The title of the book is...... WHERE HAVE ALL THE LEADERS GONE. Kathleen Wynne should read it.
Ontario Premier Kathleen
Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne was in Flamborough this past weekend when she went on record as saying that her predecessor, Dalton McGuinty, knew that errors had been made regarding how the Ontario horse-racing industry had been dealt with.
The above on the record statement by Liberal-appointed Premier Kathleen Wynne provides a solid foundation for the standardbred industry to lodge a class-action law suit against Dalton McGuinty and the Ontario Liberal government. March 31 is fast approaching ACT NOW!!!
Personally, I am getting
Personally, I am getting tired of hearing that the original decisions were ill founded, not well thought out, etc. What I would like to hear is some decisions that will reverse the inappropriate actions and give our industry "a little ray of hope" for future breeding and racing in Ontario.
As a racehorse owner who
As a racehorse owner who races at flamboro Downs when I can get my horse in to race which is now up to at least 2 weeks! I*ll try to be nice and respond with a one word answer to the premiers own words! " Paying close attention " " Not as well thought through " " sustainable horse racing industry " " smaller industry " ultimately more stable " REALLY?
Well then,heres your big
Well then,heres your big chance to make it right,just think y8u could be the big hero here.If not your also will be out there like the horsemen looking for a job.Oh wait you can't find one,THATS BECAUSE THERE ISN'T ANY!!!!!!!!!
She says errors were made ,no
She says errors were made ,no crap sherlock.So what are you waiting for ,reinstate the SARP or are waiting for the end of march when it is fo late. Then say well i tried
I realize that there were
I realize that there were some tracks that did not do what was expected of them,but what does she mean by smaller? Does she mean that the standardbred industry should be downsized to the extent that Mr Snoebolen is suggesting ? To a mere Image of what it used to be. This world class industry will not exist if we are down to 1,000 purses and half the race days. The reason that it is a world class industry is because of the purses that we had . People would invest large sums of money into our yearlings with a good chance of getting a suitable return. I don't see the need to downsize anymore then we have already . Two Standardbred tracks are gone and one Thourghbred track . The standardbreds make up 70% of the industry and with it culled down to core it will not be of much good to rural Ontario. She admitts that McQuinty was wrong, SO, right the wrong Kathleen.
Typical Liberal party
Typical Liberal party rhetoric. Premier(hopefully outgoing)Wynne is simply stating the obvious with regards to McGuinty "knowing that mistakes were made". As far as suggesting that the Ontario horse-racing industry has to be smaller to be sustainable, check out the numbers since the SARS program was implemented. What a joke!